The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has released its plans which will guide science investment all the way through to 2031. They are organised around the Science Investment Plan’s…

This week, Google is sending an experimental satellite into orbit to test whether AI data centres could resist the harsh conditions of space. The solar-powered satellite is about the size of a…

A region of Antarctica with enough ice to raise sea levels by up to four metres is the least explored section of the continent, according to a research team including an NZ scientist. The Wilkes…

An official complaint alleges that NZ has broken its climate promises, failing to uphold its legal commitments in the EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement. Dutch climate group Both ENDS is lodging the first…

A Russian drone has hit the National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv today, killing at least one person. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko says three others were wounded in the attack. The SMC asked…

Timekeepers around the world are abolishing the leap second, the extra second occasionally added to clocks to keep them in step with Earth's rotation. The change is an attempt to avoid problems in…

Hormone replacement pills taken during menopause are linked to a higher risk of serious blood clots in the veins, a large Danish study finds. For every thousand women taking the pills for a year, an…

The government says it will regulate white and orange hydrogen to encourage exploration and development. Both types of hydrogen come from rock, through natural or deliberately caused chemical…

The two bills to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) are in their final readings in Parliament tonight. The Planning Bill focuses on how land is used and developed, and the Natural Environment…

US officials knew their monitoring method might be missing some harmful effects of COVID vaccines, claims an investigative journalism article in a medical journal. Rare heart inflammation side…

The Fijian government estimates that 1 in 60 adults in the country are now living with HIV, including 1 in 50 pregnant women. Due to the seriousness of the epidemic, the country has declared a…

***This expert reaction contains information some readers may find distressing as it refers to data about mental health, suicide and self-harm. If you or anyone you know needs help, support is…

AI company CEOs have called for international cooperation to slow AI development, set safety standards, and manage risks. This comes in the wake of recent AI hacking incidents, and alarm raised by a…

A small study suggests taking paracetamol in the first 4 months of pregnancy could be linked to smaller ovaries and wombs in three-month-old babies. Baby girls exposed to paracetamol later in…

Exposure to carbon monoxide could help explain the known link between cigarette smoking and lower risk of Parkinson's disease, shows a new study. The study of over 500,000 Chinese adults found that…

Ahead of the 2026 General Election, scheduled for Saturday 7 November, the Science Media Centre asked political parties about their science policies. Responses to all 12 questions on science policy…

Pacific reefs lost nearly a fifth of their living coral in the last four decades, mostly from warmer oceans causing 'coral bleaching'. Overall, coral cover declined in the north of the region and…

We're set to overshoot the 1.5°C of global warming we agreed not to go over, and will need to cool it down ASAP, finds a UN report. Limiting Overshoot says we'll pass the Paris Agreement limit of…

An 'ice avalanche' from a glacier is thought to have triggered flash flooding at the Nepal-Tibet border. Over 160 people are reported to have died, with hundreds missing, including New Zealanders.…

A new NZ report says microplastics are found through every part of the environment, posing a risk to ecosystems and human health. The report from PHF recommends more detailed monitoring of micro- and…

NZ will use environmental DNA in an insect biosecurity response for the first time, to check Auckland waterways for signs of yellow-legged hornets. The hornets haven't been detected since this April,…

The government is introducing an Online Safety Bill to make social media companies verify user ages and assess their risks to child safety. Verification could work using face scans, ID, credit cards,…

NZ has not fully implemented part of a WHO treaty designed to keep tobacco industry interests out of health policy, finds a new study. Researchers interviewed politicians, public health experts and…

Severe respiratory illness rates are now the highest they've been in the last decade, mostly due to very high rates of flu. This comes as ambulance services struggle to meet demand, and Health NZ…

Associate Professor and 2026 winner of the Prime Minister's Science Communication Prize, Nic Rawlence, is the Director of the Ancient Ecology Lab in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otag...

Tauranga City Council has released its external review into the Mount Maunganui landslide, finding that the hazard was known but never addressed. It says the failure was not the fault of one person,…

A bill preventing courts from finding certain types of liability for greenhouse gas emissions has passed its final reading. The government says this is in response to the Smith vs Fonterra and…

Medical misinformation may delay treatment for children, a case report warns. The NZ study describes the case of a 9-year-old girl who developed serious complications when her parents didn't follow…

The government has released the new Science and Social Sciences curriculums for Years 0-10. The Science Media Centre asked experts to comment. Feel free to use these comments in your reporting or…

NZ is not adapting fast enough to growing climate risks, leaving communites exposed to damage and costs, says a new report from the Climate Change Commission. The report recommends six areas for…

The proportion of unexplained infant deaths while bed-sharing is increasing, and a study suggests vaping has a role to play. Researchers looked at 66 detailed records of sudden infant deaths in NZ,…

Researchers have used AI to create a new phage (a virus that exclusively kills bacteria) that can kill resistant strains of E. coli bacteria. The […]

The fine print on Wegovy billboards will have to be bigger after a recent complaint, but the ad wouldn’t exist at all if not […]

This week’s cold snap has brought a power warning across the country, with Transpower expecting record electricity demand. It comes as […]

From September, Pharmac will widen access to four treatments for people living with type 2 diabetes. Under the new criteria, access will […]

A UK inquiry into common parasite treatments for pets finds their widespread use “is not supported by robust scientific evidence.” […]

An Italian study finds children who joined social media as pre-teens had worse grades in Italian and maths tests – but they […]

The government has accepted nearly all of the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. The response […]

Join us for a monthly webinar where we cover topics like working with the media, communicating your research to the […]

The latest emissions reduction monitoring report says we're running out of time to meet our targets. Farming, electricity, and transport are the biggest risks to emissions budgets, the Climate Change…

Our flagship media training increases confidence and skills to help researchers to engage more effectively with the wider public through broadcast, print and social media. Apply below. We create a uni...

The kāhu (swamp harrier hawk) - found in the Wairarapa - is the second case of bird flu in NZ and the first in a native bird. The first case, detected in a seabird, was announced on Wednesday. The…

A strong earthquake last night near Te Anau was followed by a tsunami warning and aftershocks. The tsunami warning, issued for Milford Sound to Puysegur Point, was downgraded then cancelled after an…

A single ocean-going seabird has tested positive for bird flu, after being found on Petone beach in Wellington. It's NZ's first detected case of the bird flu strain that has killed birds and mammals…

The Australian Prime Minister has announced a new 'Office of AI' that will develop a single, national framework for the rollout of the technology. The framework will bring together work from…

In a small European study, people who'd suffered a serious heart attack were more likely to have micro- and nanoplastics in their blood. Looking at about 60 people, scientists found the tiny plastics…

Researchers from around the world will meet in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland next week to discuss the threats facing coral reefs and how to solve them. This is the first time the week-long symposium has…

Even nitrate levels well below the regulatory limit may slightly increase the risk of preterm births, a large NZ study finds. For over 700,000 births in NZ between 2008 and 2021, researchers looked…

The Australian government has now reported seven cases of a serious type of bird flu in wild birds. Over the last few years, this type of bird flu has caused high numbers of deaths in poultry and…